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Sunday, September 28, 2014

Author Ella Sheridan has a brand new release coming out soon, entitled Teach Me, and she's here to share the cover with us. Welcome, Ella!

Teach Me (Southern Nights Book One)

A
woman determined to heal…

Shy researcher Jess Kingston spent
the last eight weeks recovering from her ex-boyfriend’s brutal attack. Body
healed, she’s ready to put her life back together—except her ex isn’t ready to
let go. She won’t cower in a corner while Brit tortures her, but she’s
powerless to fight back.

A
man determined to resist…

Ex-military security specialist
Conlan James avoids commitment like the plague. His job, his Harley, and the
occasional one-night stand are all he needs, until the day he rescues Jess from
a tense situation and realizes he can’t get her off his mind. He can teach her
to protect herself, but protecting his heart is another matter.

A
madman determined to win…

As the deadly game of cat-and-mouse
with Brit heats up, so does the hunger between Con and Jess. Safety might be
found in numbers, but in bed, all bets are off—and the wrong move could lead to
heartbreak. Or death.Here's an excerpt to whet your appetite:

What the hell are you doing here?

This wasn’t the first time in the
last five minutes that Conlan had asked himself the same question. Maybe if he
had an answer, the revolving door in his brain would stop spinning, but that
didn’t seem likely. Not anytime soon. Not with the beautiful brunette he’d come
to see sitting close enough that, if he let himself look, he could detect the
light dusting of freckles across her nose. But he wasn’t looking, and he
shouldn’t be here, so how had he ended up standing in line behind the
thirtysomething latte league? It sure as hell wasn’t for the coffee.

Legs braced wide, he shifted from
one hip to the other, the creak of his motorcycle chaps reminding him he could
be enjoying a few extra minutes on the Harley before work instead of spending
that precious time here, mooning over a woman. Doe Eyes. The first time he’d
seen her all those months ago, he’d thought her eyes reminded him of sweet
Georgia pecans and skittish does. The name stuck, as had the memory of her
eyes—and a hundred other glimpses he shouldn’t have taken.

Another name called, another latte
dispensed, another shuffle forward.

He hadn’t seen those eyes in eight
weeks, and yet still he’d shown up every Monday, like clockwork, hoping for one
more glimpse and calling himself an idiot. Wasn’t like he planned on asking her
out. So why the hell did he torture himself with these weekly forays into enemy
territory?

Sex. Or sex appeal, at least.

Another step closer to the counter.
The move didn’t ease the constriction behind the zipper of his jeans. This was
what she did to him, thinking about her. Especially now, after so long apart.

The thought had a snort escaping.
Ahead of him, Mr. Suit and Tie startled and glanced over a shoulder, but Conlan
ignored the look. He was too busy figuring out when “this” had become enough
like a relationship in his head that he would think things like “after so long
apart.” Doe Eyes might appear prominently in his thoughts from time to
time—especially certain times—but
he’d never seen her outside of this coffee shop. And he wouldn’t. A quick roll
in the hay was one thing, but Doe Eyes wasn’t the kind of woman who had
one-night stands. He could tell that much just by looking at her. She was a
relationship kind of woman, and he was a relationship-phobic kind of guy. Which
meant he seriously needed to get a grip—and not on the part of him growing even
harder at the idea.

Idiot was right.I know you can't wait, so here are the preorder links:

Ella grew up in the Deep South,
where books provided adventures, friends, and her first taste of romance. Now
she writes her own romantic adventures, with plenty of hot alpha men and the
women who love and challenge them. With a day job, a husband, two active
teenagers, and two not so active cats, Ella is always busy, but getting the
voices in her head down on paper is a top priority. Connect with Ella at

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

My friend, writer JM Stewart, has a brand new release I'm thrilled to share with you. If you love contemporary romance, you won't want to miss Risking it All!

Love requires a leap of
faith...

She’s everything he wants…

For years,
Kyle Morgan has hidden his true feelings from the gorgeous girl next door that
he grew up loving and protecting. But when she shows up at his apartment in the
middle of the night, desperately needing comfort and support, his iron will
begins to waver…

…and the only thing he can’t bear to lose.

Kyle was always the big brother Cecelia Anton
never had, but suddenly her goofy best friend has become a sexy man she can’t
keep her thoughts—or hands—off of. As their deep connection melts into
uncontrollable desire, Ceci is willing to put it all on the line for a shot at
true love. Only Kyle is keeping a terrible secret about Ceci’s past that could
destroy not only their lifelong friendship but their happily-ever-after…

Here's an excerpt to whet your appetite:

For a
moment, she stared, her eyes searching his, then she straightened her
shoulders. “Why’d you kiss me?”

Panic curled
through him, sending his pulse pounding into his rib cage. Damn. Why hadn’t he
expected her to ask that? But he couldn’t answer it. To do so would be tempting
fate. An intense need for distance seized him. Half afraid he’d lose his mind
and do something else he’d regret, like pull her into his arms and show her why
he’d kissed her, he shot to his feet.

He flashed
her a smile he knew had to look as phony as it felt. “Headache’s better.
Thanks.”

He didn’t
wait for a response but strode toward the yard.

“I need to
know, Kyle.”

His answer
sat on the tip of his tongue, but the voice of reason sounded in his head.
Don’t say it. Whatever you do, do not say
it. Just keep walking.

Her soft
footsteps sounded behind him. “You can’t just do something like that and walk
away and expect me not to question it. You blow hot and cold, do you know that?
I know desire when I see it, yet you just keep walking away.”

“Ever think
maybe I wanted to kiss you?” The words left his mouth on a hoarse whisper, and
God help him, a desperate need to see her eyes seized him. He turned to find
her directly behind him. She stared for a fraction of a second too long, heat
and curiosity blazed in her eyes. A heartbeat later, a light blush stole into
her cheeks, but she didn't move, didn't say a word.

Everything inside of him ground to a halt, his
mind twisting off in another direction. I’ll
be damned. If ever he needed a confirmation, there it was. Whatever had
happened between them was definitely not one-sided.

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Please join me in welcoming Mickie Sherwood to The Second Half today! Mickie is the author of Cherished Moments, a new sweet romantic suspense.

Here's a bit about the story:

Senator
Jordan Dupré is reluctant to revisit her past. That thought crumbles at the
sight of Deacon Burke. His commanding presence and charming smile transports her
back to her youth. Back then, she kissed, loved, lied, and left him—taking a
life-changing secret with her.

Scorned
by Jordan’s dishonesty, Deke swears he never wants to see her lying face again.
However, his heart knows better, and he never stops thinking of her. When
Jordan’s husband is killed, Deke is summoned to the Senator’s aid, by an
unlikely source—Unfortunately, he brings a secret of his own.

Will
secrets from their past reignite their cherished moments?

Excerpt:

Deke’s
number rang a long time before he finally answered. "Hello."

"Deke,
it's me." Her throat felt scratchy from screaming. Clearing it only aggravated
the rawness. "Thank you for being there."

"You
know, I'll always be here for you, Jay."

"That
man probably would have strangled me to death if you hadn't shown up when you
did."

"What?
What man? What are you talking about?"

Confusion
settled over Jordan. "Wasn't that you in the parking lot a few minutes
ago?"

"Jay,
you banished me from your place. Remember?" He growled the words.

Mickie
Sherwood is an author and a novice photographer. Using her backyard
as the backdrop for her inspiration, she loves taking pictures of nature.
Her love of photography incites her creativity for writing.
Spending time
with her family and cruise vacations, also stokes her imagination. With
all of her interests combined, fascinating characters and intriguing circumstances
can develop.

About Me

Like so many of my fellow baby-boomers, I've found myself facing the challenge of an unexpected early retirement after a long career in business, and it's scary. After much research and soul-searching, I've decided to take the plunge full time into the world of publishing--my first love and second home for the past twenty years. I hope you'll join me on this journey of discovery and reinvention.